Internal mold for burial-vaults.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903. ,R. MILLISON.

INTERNAL MOLD FOR BURIAL VAULTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES.

TIIEOPI-IILUS REES MILLISON,

OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

INTERNAL MOLD FOR BURIALEVAULTS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 7 23,477, dated March 24, 1 903.

Application filed August 4,1902.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS REES MIL- LISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal Molds for Burial-Vaults, ofwhich the following is a specification. I

In the constructionof burial-vaults it is essential, in order to produce a thoroughly practical, durable, water and burglar proof vault, that there shall be no joints throughwhich water may pass into the interior of the vault. For this purpose the vault must be so constructed that when completed it will be of a single piece. In a construction of this character care must be taken to prevent all possibility of any expansion of the internal mold during the time when the cement is becoming setor thereafter, as such expansion would result in cracking the walls of the vault.

The object of my invention is, therefore, to produce a mold for the interior of burialvau ts or similar receptacles, which shall be of such character that it may be removed from the vault practically so soon as the walls of the same are formed and before said walls have set, the removal being accomplished without disintegrating the inner surface of the vault.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of a vault in process of construction with my improved mold in the interior thereof. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 with themold removed and showing the manner of producing the top, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the mold.

In the production of a mold which is to be removed from the surface of the cement before the cement has set, it is essential that the mold be made in sect-ions having at least one surface dimension comparatively small, so that each section can be individually removed from the surface of the cement by a sliding movement, which will maintain the integrity of the surface from which the mold is withdrawn. My mold is therefore formed by four corner angle-pieces 5, preferably angle-iron, of a length equal to or greater than the internal height of the vault which is to be constructed. These four angle-irons 5 form the Serial No. 118,629. (No model.)

external vertical corners of the mold, and the sides of the mold are then formed by a plurality of slats 6, extending from within one flange of one angle-iron to the adjacent flange of the adjacent angle-iron. Similarly the ends of the mold are composed of a plurality of slats 7, and each of the slats 6 and 7 is provided at each end with an augularlyarranged transverse notch 8, into which-the edges of a locking-bar 9 may be introduced. Passing through bar 9 are screws 10, which pass into threaded openings 11 in the angleirons 5.

In practice my mold will consist of asingle set of angle-irons 5 and locking-bars S) (and the accompanying screws) of a height equal to or slightly greater than the depth of the deepest vault which may be required. The side slats 6 and end slats 7 will then be furnished in several sets of varying lengths, so that a mold of any standard length and width may be obtained, the height or depth being determined by the number of slats which are used.

In operation that set of slats 6 and 7 which most nearly approaches a size into which the desired casket may be introduced is selected and the ends thereof inserted between the flanges of the angle-irons 5 and the lockingbars 9, a sufficient number of slats being used to produce the required height of mold. Screws are then drawn up until each locking-bar rests within the-notches 8 and draws the angle-iron closely upon the slats, so as to firmly hold the parts in position. The grave is dug with a width equal to the width of the mold plus twice the thickness desired for the cement walls and alength equal to the length of the mold similarly increased. Priorto the arrival of the casket at the cemetery a 'fioor of cement is laid in the bottom of the grave and my improved mold then placed centrally in position upon this floor, whereupon cement is introduced between the mold and the walls of the grave. Before the cement walls thus formed have entirely hardened the operator loosens the screws 10, removing said screws and the locking-bars 9, whereupon the slats -of the sides and ends may be individually slid endwise, so as to loosen from the cement 1 without disintegrating the face, and thus be easily removed in succession. When the slats cement until the same hardens.

composing the sides and ends of the mold have been removed, the screws 10 may he reintroduced to' serve as handles to facilitate the removal (preferablyby a vertical sliding) of the angle-bars. As soon as the casket arriv'es it is lowered into the vault thus formed (and from which of course the mold has been withdrawn) and a cover of corrugated sheet metal 12 laid across the top of the vault, the edges thereof projecting slightly upon the walls, as shown. The operator then continues the construction of the vault by spreading a layer of cement over the corrugated metal, said metal serving as a support for the I have found by experience that even'though the walls be twenty-four hours old the cement of the top will so firmly unite with the cement of the walls that after all of the parts have firmly set it is impossible to remove the topat the line of union.

I am aware that'it' has heretofore been proposed to form a burial-vault of substantially unitary walls; but, so far as I am aware, it has been proposed to produce such a vault by the use of a box-like mold, of wood-such, for instance, as the pine box in which caskets are shipped-said boxes or molds being allowed to remain in the completed vault. My experience leads me to the conclusion that in such structures the absolutely unavoidable absorption of water by the mold-box from the cement results in an irresistible expansion of the mold within the vault, such expansion generally taking place a number of hours after the vault has been supposed to have been completed, andsuch expansion resulting unavoidably in a cracking of the walls of the vault, and thus rendering impossible the accomplishment .of the very result for which said vault was produced. I am also aware that hollow cement structures have heretofore been formed by means of molds having movable parts, which enable the withdrawal of the mold from the completed hollow article; but, so far as I am aware, I am the first to produce a mold which during operation is rigid and which is yet of such character that the sections from which it is made may be given a sliding movement parallel with the cement face to facilitate the withdrawal of the individual sections, at the same time maintaining and perfecting the integrity of the surface from which the mold is withdrawn.

I therefore claim as my invention 1. A mold for burial-vaults consisting of corner-standards having inner corners free in line of the side slats, sides composed of a pinrality of slats of less length than the total length of the mold, and means for detachably clamping said slats to said corner-standards at each end, vertical corner-angles adapted to lie outside of the side slats and having free inner corners in line with said slats, a

locking-bar for each corner-angle adapted to rest in the notches of adjacent ends of two series of slats so as to maintain the ends of the slats at a distance from the inner corner of the corner-angles, and bolts for clamping the corner-angles and locking-bars upon the slats, substantially as and for the purposes set I forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 28th dayof July, A. D. 1902.

THEOPHILUS REES MILLISON. [L. S.] Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. H001), Lines A. WALSH. 

